[Preservenw] The City of Seattle's Threat Against MOHAI's Future

[Gary Menges]

I am forwarding the message below to you from Helen Divjak, a former AKCHO
board member now with the Museum of History & Industry. She is writing about
an outrageous attempt by the City of Seattle to renege on a good-faith deal
with MOHAI. This attempt threatens MOHAI's plans to move to Lake Union Park,
and it threatens the survival of arguably the single most visible and
important local heritage institution in Washington State. This affects ALL
of us, not just people in Seattle. Please read carefully, write to city
leaders, and plan to attend the hearing on Sept. 20. Thank you.

Joe Follansbee
AKCHO Board President

-----

Dear Friends, AKCHO Members, and Heritage Supporters:

I am writing to you today on behalf of MOHAI to inform you that the future
of our museum is in jeopardy. As you may have read in the news last week,
MOHAI?s agreement with the Seattle?s Mayor?s Office - one which would allow the
museum to reopen in 2012 at the historic Armory at South Lake Union - is now
being called into question. If we are unable to resolve this issue swiftly,
MOHAI will be forced to close, and may not reopen.

If MOHAI has made a difference to your life or your community, please
support us by writing an email or a note to the Seattle Mayor?s office and
City council to let them know how you feel. I would also be grateful if you
can help me raise awareness about this issue by forwarding my email onto
friends, neighbors, and colleagues of your own. History matters and our
voices really can make a difference.

Here is the situation:

1) The MOHAI building at Montlake is going to be demolished. In 2012,
Seattle?s regional history museum must close its doors to make way for the
expansion of the 520 bridge.

2) After three years of working together, MOHAI and the City reached an
agreement last fall to save MOHAI by moving it to the landmarked Armory
building at South Lake Union. According to this agreement, all of the funds
required to restore the old Armory and to complete the relocation of
exhibits, staff, artifacts, and other museum services will come from MOHAI?s
capital campaign and from compensation designated by the State to mitigate
MOHAI?s loss. You can learn more about this agreement in the following
Crosscut article:http://crosscut.com/2010/09/03/seattle-city-hall/20129/The-mayor,-the-MOHAI
,-and-the-moolah/

3) In developments last week, the Mayor?s Office indicated that it now wishes
to renegotiate our agreement, despite the fact that that the State?s
mitigation funds cannot be redirected. Mitigation funds from the State can
be used ONLY for the purpose they were intended: to mitigate MOHAI for the
loss of the Montlake building and all the functions it contains. The
mitigation includes funds to not only help us restore the Armory building
and create exhibits to replace those we will loose at our Montlake facility,
but also to relocate many of the museum?s functions (including staff offices,
the research library, and artifact storage) that cannot be accommodated at
the Armory. To successfully complete our move, MOHAI must be able to keep
the agreement.

If you believe that MOHAI plays an important role in our cultural landscape
and serves our community by preserving and sharing our history, please share
your thoughts with Mayor McGinn and City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw, Chair
of the Parks and Seattle Center Committee. Their email addresses are:
mike.mcginn at seattle.gov and sally.bagshaw at seattle.gov respectively. If you
would like to send a letter, the mayor?s physical mail address is: The
Honorable Mike McGinn, Seattle City Hall 7th floor, 600 Fourth Avenue, P.O.
Box 94749, Seattle, WA 98124-4749. We also request that you show your
support by attending the City Council meeting scheduled for September 20th
at 2 PM, at 600 4th Avenue in the Council Chambers, where the council
members will vote on this matter.

Thank you for your support!

HELEN DIVJAK
PUBLIC PROGRAMS MANAGER
MUSEUM OF HISTORY & INDUSTRY
2700 24th Avenue East, Seattle, WA 98112-2099
P: 206.324.1126 Ext. 30 | F: 206.324.1346
helen.divjak at seattlehistory.org
www.seattlehistory.org

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